Public Accounts Commission

Public Accounts Commission: Senior Civil Servants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, what the (a) ethnicity, (b) gender, (c) disability status, (d) educational background and (e) socio-economic status is of the three most senior officials in the National Audit Office.

Sir Edward Leigh: The National Audit Office is headed by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir Amyas Morse, who is an Officer of the House. He is currently supported by a team of four senior staff, although the current Executive Leadership team is undergoing expansion and a number of changes. All of the current senior team are male, four are white British and one of mixed ethnicity, and one has a declared disability. All of the team are university educated. We do not hold information on socio-economic status.

Department for Education

Citizenship: Teachers

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many places were available for trainee teachers who wish to specialise in citizenship education on teacher training courses in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Gibb: The number of places initially allocated for citizenship each year since the academic year 2013/14 is shown in the table below: Academic year (of training)Initial allocation of citizenship places2013/141472014/151492015/16175 Source: Published ITT Allocations Official Statistics.[1]Data for earlier years are not directly comparable with those shown in the table as they include allocations for Personal, Social and Health Education and Social Studies within the total for Citizenship. [1] This includes postgraduate and undergraduate allocated places.

Citizenship: Education

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure effective teaching of citizenship education in schools in England; and if she will make a statement.

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to review the national curriculum's citizenship programme of study as proposed in the Government's White Paper Education Excellence Everywhere, published in March 2016.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to ensuring that high quality citizenship education helps to provide pupils with knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society.Citizenship education is therefore part of the National Curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4. The revised programmes of study were introduced in September 2014 and seek to direct teaching towards the core knowledge of citizenship, and to give schools more scope to decide how to teach citizenship.The Secretary of State is considering the proposal in the White Paper regarding citizenship.Teachers are encouraged to develop their practice with the support of specialist organisations and expert professionals such as subject associations. Ofsted, in its inspections of schools, considers the breadth and balance of the curriculum, including provision for pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare, as well as their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This includes how pupils develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain. Ofsted have strengthened their inspection frameworks so that inspectors assess how well all schools protect pupils from the risks of extremism and radicalisation, and promote fundamental British values. We are also supporting schools to meet their obligations to protect pupils from radicalisation and promote fundamental British values, and to help them build pupils’ resilience to extremism through knowledge so that they can question information, weigh arguments, and make reasoned judgments. We are currently working with the Association of Citizenship Teaching on producing guidance and resources packs to help teachers lead knowledge based debates on topics relating to extremism, fundamental British values and contemporary political and social issues.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average funding was for a secondary school pupil in (a) England, (b) Surrey, (c) Oxfordshire, (d) London and (e) Haringey in each of the last five years.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average funding was for a primary school pupil in (a) England, (b) Surrey, (c) Oxfordshire, (d) London and (e) Haringey in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: Funding from the Department is primarily allocated at a local authority level. Since the introduction of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) in 2006-07, figures are no longer available split by phase of education. The average schools block unit of funding for England and London, in addition to those for Surrey, Oxfordshire, Haringey and all other local authorities for the last five years can be found at the links below: 2013-14: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-2013-to-2014 2014-15:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-2014-to-20152015-16:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2015-to-20162016-17:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2016-to-20172017-18:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2017-to-2018 Pupil Premium per pupil (£)2013-20142014-20152015-20162016-20172017-2018Free School Meal Pupil Primary£953£1323£1320£1320£1320Free School Meal Pupil Secondary£900£935£935£935£935Service Children£300£300£300£300£300Looked After Children£900£1900*£1900*£1900*£1900*Since 2011-12 schools have received the Pupil Premium which targets funding at pupils from the most deprived backgrounds to help them achieve their full potential. In 2011-12, the Pupil Premium was allocated for each pupil known to be eligible for Free School Meals, looked after children and children of parents in the armed services. In 2012-13 coverage was expanded to include pupils known to have been eligible for Free School Meals at any point in the last six years. The per pupil amounts for each type of pupil for the last five years are shown in following table in cash terms:*Also includes children adopted from care Details of provider level allocations for all schools and academies for the last four years can also be found at the links below. These cover the DSG schools block allocations made by local authorities.2013-14:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-block-funding-allocations-2013-to-20142014-15:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-block-funding-allocations-2014-to-20152015-16:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-block-funding-allocations-2015-to-20162016-17:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-block-funding-allocations-2016-to-2017

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release: Birth Certificates

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making the presentation of birth certificates compulsory for UK-born residents leaving prison to help ensure that they have adequate ID for accessing benefits and other services.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The MoJ has not made such an assessment. Our work to improve resettlement of prisoners after release is to prioritise finding accommodation and employment and building a life free from crime.We are carrying out a comprehensive review of the probation service to improve outcomes for offenders and communities. Public protection is our top priority and we will not hesitate to take the necessary action to make sure our vital reforms are being delivered to reduce reoffending, cut crime and prevent future victims.

Criminal Records: Employment

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress the Government has made on its ban the box initiative; which businesses have signed up to that initiative; how many employees of her Department have unspent convictions; what progress has been made on that initiative across the wider public sector; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Government is committed to improving diversity of opportunity and creating an inclusive working environment that attracts the best talent and makes the most of potential skills and productivity of ex-offenders in the community.The Civil Service has committed to banning the box, following the former Prime Minister's commitment in February 2016. Business in the Community's Ban the Box campaign was formally launched across the Civil Service on the 17th October 2016.A number of departments are already operating their recruitment process in line with the Ban the Box principles. This approach is now being formalised across the Civil Service and departments are working to implement this initiative quickly and effectively to ensure their roles attract the widest possible range of applicants. The Cabinet Office is responsible for the Ban the Box policy in the Civil Service.The Ministry of Justice is supportive of the initiative and will explore options for promoting Ban the Box across both the Public and Private sector to increase opportunities available to offenders.Information about the number of business signed up to the initiative is not held by the MoJ. The Business in the Community campaign maintain the list and it can be accessed here: http://www.bitc.org.uk/programmes/ban-box/who-has-banned-box-0The information requested relating to how many MoJ employees have unspent convictions could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Suspended Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of sentences for each category of offence are suspended sentences.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The information requested can be found on GOV.UK

Prisoners: Education and Training

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was spent on education and training for prisoners in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The information requested is available on GOV.UK.

Prisons: Suicide

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's oral contribution of 24 January 2017, Official Report, column 156, when she plans to publish the findings of her investigation into self-inflicted deaths in prisons.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We carefully study the details of all deaths in custody to determine whether there are any patterns, or lessons to be learned, to further our understanding of why these tragic events happen. We have put in place a range of measures to help to support prisoners who are at risk of self-harm or suicide, especially in the first 24 hours when prisoners are at their most vulnerable. We are also investing in mental health awareness training for staff.

Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission

Electoral Commission: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the total pay bill was for (a) male and (b) female employees in the Electoral Commission in 2015-16; and what the average per capita spend from that pay bill was for men and women in that year.

Bridget Phillipson: The Electoral Commission’s total pay bill for 2015-16 was £7.8 million.The Commission does not have the total pay bill analysed by gender for 2015-16 and the number of male and female employees varied throughout the year. However, at 31 March 2016, the Commission employed 64.1 full-time equivalent male staff and 78.6 full-time equivalent female staff. For that month, March 2016, the average per capita spend for women was £38,247and the average per capital spend for men was £41,225.

Electoral Commission: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many security passes into the Electoral Commission are issued to people (a) not directly employed by and (b) who are not civil servants who work in the Electoral Commission.

Bridget Phillipson: The Electoral Commission leases four access controlled offices – in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast – none of which are located in civil service buildings. All Electoral Commission members of staff – including fixed contract and temporary or agency staff – are issued with security passes for the office that they are based in.a) Numbers of passes issued fluctuate over the year. Passes are only issued to staff and contractors who need to be in an office for a sustained period to carry out their work for the Electoral Commission. Guests are collected from a reception desk and escorted out of an Electoral Commission office by a member of staff.b) The Electoral Commission is a non-Crown body which means there are no civil servants who work in the Electoral Commission.

Ministry of Defence

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to announce the final number of vehicles his Department plans to procure as part of the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle programme.

Harriett Baldwin: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 09 February 2017.The correct answer should have been:

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 November 2016 to Question 49995. The MechanicalMechanised Infantry Vehicle project is in the concept phase and it remains too early to provide a timeline by which a decision on numbers can be provided.



Armoured Fighting Vehicles
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Harriett Baldwin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 November 2016 to Question 49995. The MechanicalMechanised Infantry Vehicle project is in the concept phase and it remains too early to provide a timeline by which a decision on numbers can be provided.



Armoured Fighting Vehicles
(Word Document, 33.19 KB)

Armed Forces: Alcoholism

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the debate on the Armed Forces Covenant of 2 February 2017, HC column 1270, when he expects the alcohol working group to publish its findings.

Mark Lancaster: The MOD Alcohol Working Group was formed in 2014 and has implemented a number of initiatives targeting alcohol use including; improving the guidance to individuals and Commanding Officers; partnering external agencies such as Public Health England and Drinkaware in their national awareness campaigns and developing a new alcohol strategy.The aim of the evidence-based strategy, which will be finalised in the spring this year is to deliver a strategic approach in changing attitudes towards alcohol consumption which involves a four-stage approach of prevention, intervention, protection and education.Last year, a screening programme was introduced at annual dental inspections which will enable better data-gathering to facilitate better-targeted awareness campaigns.The Army is leading on the development of a Unit Alcohol Advisors' course which aims to train individuals to be a focal point in each unit for all matters relating to alcohol; promoting a sensible attitude to drinking; raising awareness of health factors related to alcohol misuse; and championing the change of attitude required to change culture. Each service has a training and education programme and is engaged in a rolling programme of health promotion, warning of the consequences of hazardous drinking and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Rents: Arrears

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) level and (b) extent of arrears of tenants in the (i) social and (ii) private rented sector.

Gavin Barwell: The statistics published at this link contain the information that you have requested:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-returns-for-2015-to-2016